Sunday, December 31, 2017

Four years strong in wrapping up 2017 with a year in review post! WOOT! (here's 2014, 2015, and 2016's for ya if you're so interested). And, keepin' with tradition, I'm doing my top 10 favorites from this amazing year. I know a lot of people hated on 2017 (much like they did with 2016), but dang nabit, we had some great moments 'round these parts and I want to share them again with you!

*Some of these are totes copies from previous years...but dang nabit I can't help that I am a creature of habit and like traditions so you're seeing some updates to these great moments 2017 style.

10. 365 Project

1 minute version

extended cut (~9 minutes)

Just like I did in 2016 this year I did another year-long photo project and I freaking LOVE how it turned out (and also so happy I stuck with it for another year!!)...you can see the entire album of all 365 snaps HERE. I did a matte edit for 365 days of photos and it has been so fun looking back at all of them and seeing how much has changed since {almost} a year ago. I'm getting them printed up for another album just like I did for last years and I cannot wait to do that -- and dive in tomorrow with day 1 of 2018's project.

9. Picture Takin' & New Pastures

1 minute version:

14 minute version:

I whipped up THIS POST over on my photog blog (and personal blog too!) which compiled a little less than 500 of my favorite snaps from 2017 (danggggg I took a lot of pics in 2017!)...but wow. Was 2017 a great year for Pics & Paws Photography. Such amazing people and events I got to capture and some incredible shots. I posted back in October how I felt like I have made it and I totally echo that sentiment! I truly feel like I am in such a great spot with my photography and can't wait to see where I go and what I continue to learn. Heck, I've got a ton of birth/newborn/fresh 48 prints hanging up in an OB's office! How freaking cool is that?!?!? I love love LOVE taking pictures and truly cannot wait to see what 2018 has in store for me there.

8. Goose

Ahhhh, my Goose. My sweet sweet Goose. How I miss you so! This bird turning 90 was such a highlight of 2017...and probably my favorite shoot EVER. Her memorial weekend was bittersweet but yet so filled with family and great memories it was truly an awesome weekend. Nearly every day timehop reminds me of a snap of her with my kiddos (or Scoots!) and it makes me teary-eyed happy knowing what a great bird she was and how lucky we all were (especially my kiddos!) to have had so many years with her. I miss her dearly and can't stop thinking about her -- and I don't think it's really set it yet that she's really truly gone. But she was such a great part of 2017 and I am so thankful for all that this year held with and for her!

7. Preschool

Ahhh, preschool! Patrick is a seasoned veteran being in the 4s class and his second year of preschool, but Rosie is a newbie who just wrapped up her first half of 2s preschool and is absolutely LOVING it. School is obviously a huge part of every year (seeing as that's where I work during the day!) and I looooooove that my kiddos love school (and their teachers!) so much! They have learned an incredible amount this year in school and it's just the cutest thing listening to them talk about their day and what they did. I do love that they go to school together and if they have anything that they do together they sit together and are just best friends. Melts my mama's heart!

6. Favorite Videos

I just had to reshare some of my most favorite videos from 2017! Some of these are just freaking hilarious and I cannot stop laughing at them (sorry for the broken house Patrick...and the 'maybe tomorrow' video kills me every.single.time!...and Annie falling asleep in her high chair!!!!!) and it was so fun to rewatch them and pick out my favorites from 2017. I'm trying to get better and better about taking more videos, and Instagram stories have helped that! Although I hate that most of these are vertical videos...but that's how they are formatted for IG stories so JUST DEAL WITH IT OKAY??!?! I sure hope 2018 has some video gems in it too :)

5. Memorable Snaps

I took a lot (I mean, A LOT!) of snaps in 2017...but I wanted to share some of my most favorite and memorable snaps from 2017. I feel like most of these don't need any explanations; the photos speak for themselves. Gosh what a great year 2017 was...and I feel so happy that I have these snaps here to showcase it.

4. Scooter

Ahhhh, our most favorite pooch. I had to use his amazing Olan Mills portrait for this section!! HAHA IT IS JUST PERFECT. This pup is anywhere between 12.5 and 14.5 (we think!) and we could not love him anymore. Yes, he's getting older, yes, he doesn't move around quite as fast as he use to, but dang nabit, we love him so much and love having him be a part of our family! Scoots got to do some cool stuff this year (Pooches in the Ballpark being one of them!) and really has enjoyed just being our family dog and lounging around and sleeping the days away. He does have diabetes and gets insulin twice a day, but takes it like a champ and doesn't let that deter him at all. Oh how we love Scoots and all the joy he brought to us in 2017! We cannot wait to see what antics he gets into in 2018!

I always like to share some of my favorite blog posts from the past year -- I really like going back through the 200+ posts I wrote in 2017 and rehatching some of my favorites. Some serious, some fun, but all were great memories that I am SO GLAD I have penned in this digital baby book/diary. Thanks for being one of my loyal readers out there and following along with us in this crazy journey called life!

2. Annie's Arrival

I mean, this is probably the top moment of 2018 -- we welcomed our little Annie Banannie into our family at the end of January. I waited about 24 hours to pen her birth story and then I still oogle over all of her birth snaps my brother took and I edited. Golly, what a great treat that was to start off the year with! We feel like she's been a part of our family for always and I cannot imagine life without her! She's 11 months old today and will be turning one before we know it! I feel like we started off 2017 on a high note with our little lady and are ending on one talking about her too!

1. The Fam Bam

This is always my number one (are you shocked?!?!) but I can't think of anything else that is better for my #1 spot in my year in review than my fam bam! I am so incredibly lucky to have such an amazing husband, 3 wonderful kiddos, and 1 lazy--yet awesome--dog. My only regret for 2017 is that we didn't take more pictures with ALL OF US in them! Because, what you see above folks, is IT for family snaps for 2017! I need to be better about getting in front of the camera and not always behind it. Anyways, this year was amazing for us as we grew from a family of 4 to a family of 5 and haven't looked back! It's been a joy having 3 kiddos -- chaotic and crazy and insane at times -- but also amazing and wonderful too. I literally cannot wait to see what 2018 has in store for this fam bam! 2017 has a lot to top :)

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Well friends, there you have it: 2017 in a nutshell! It was such an awesome year -- one for the memory books! I do have a few runners' up I want to add in...and then a gigantic photo dump of my favorite snaps from 2017. Obviously #5 above is 'memorable snaps' but I picked only a few of my most favorite pics from 2017 for that post.

RUNNERS' UP:

* 2017 kids

2017 was the year of Mooney babies! And oh what a fun year it was! From Annie's arrival in January to the twins in April to Lily's in November -- it was a year full of babes and probably won't be matched again with that many new Mooney cousins! I cannot wait for these 2017 kiddos to grow up together!

* Facebook Groups
So this one might seem sooooo silly but I'm saying it anyways: I freaking love my Facebook groups. I am in quite a few, but the ones I have really loved are the ones I've learned so much from! Yes, I have some mom groups that are great and always filled with lots of drama and, I'm a sucker for reading those posts, so they're always a good read. However, the groups I am really thankful for are all of my photog groups -- holy cow, there are some incredibly talented photogs and artists out there that pop up on my newsfeed every single day and looking at and marveling at their pics makes me a better photog myself! I learn from them, listen to them, take their ideas and try them with my own pics. I think these groups have greatly helped my own photog game and I can't wait to continue to keep learning from and with them into 2018.

*Snaps By Patrick

This kid got his own Instagram, Facebook page, and oodles of blog posts alllllll about his snappin' adventures this year! He's snapped with his Pixltoys camera as well as one of my big cameras!! I love watching him take pictures and see what he captures with his cameras. I hope he continues to love taking pictures and I can't wait to keep showing him the ropes as the years go on! I cannot wait to see what he captures in 2018!!

*Patrick & Rosie

Gosh their relationship is just the best. I'm not sure if this is a singular part of 2017 or more of an over-arching one, but these two are just best buddies. Their relationship is, like most siblings, full of ups and down. One minute they love each other and can't get along well enough, the next they are fighting and SO MUCH SCREAMING is happening. But I love it; I love the chaos and amazingness that this brings and I cannot wait to watch their relationship develop more and more as the years go on! Obviously I feel a tinge guilty not including Annie in this, but she's still a baby...I'm sure next year she'll be one of the gang and they'll have a trifecta relationship that I'll bloggity blog all about!*Rosie is Potty Trained!

I've documented it a bit before, but as of 12/31 Rosie is officially potty trained! Yes, I fully expect for a few more accidents here and there, but girlfriend is in undies 100% of the time (minus a pull-up at night) and rockin' it! I AM SO PROUD OF HER! This year has been full of big milestones for my biggest girl: a big girl bed, starting preschool, and now, using the potty and ditching the diapers! Excited to see what 2018 as in store for her!

*Candid Childhood

I do love posed pics, but golly, this year (and more so recently at the end of this year!) I have developed an undying love for candid, unposed, lifestyle pics. I have loved capturing just that with my kiddos this year and I hope to continue to do it even more so into 2018. Candid childhood is just my favorite -- I love catching my kiddos in their element (and if I can do so unknowingly as well, BONUS!) and getting these kinds of snaps out of it. It truly is the best and is such a great representation of their life here and now. AND I'm using candids (not necessarily with just my kids, but candids in general!) for my 2018 project...so check out #MooneyCandid365 on Instagram starting TOMORROW!!!

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I decided to skip my usual photo dump. I actually started going through pics to include here and it got supppppppeeeeeerrrrrr daunting and after 10 minutes I already had 200 pics picked out and only had gone through one album...SO! I'm skipping that this year because if you want to see what our year was like, go scroll through my Instagram feed...which would basically be a repeat below of pics I posted there. Ha! Anyways, thank you for being awesome 2017...2018, you've got a lot to top! BRING ITTTTT!!